Rhododendron
by SombreroSamwise
Summary: After a heist gone terribly wrong, Zoroasters half sister Catarina returns to Florence, only to be caught up in the adventure of a lifetime. Eventual Riario/OC.


"There is smoke rising from the drawing room"

Zoroasters voice shook the other two from their daydreams. The day had been calm so far, and the two fisherman in the lake had proven to be a somewhat of a disctraction, afterall boring games can only entertain you so far. All three of them were now looking, across the lake and beyond the wall the city of Florence was burning, grey clouds obscuring their vision of the city. Something went wrong, terribly, terribly wrong.

"Has all of Florance gone insane", Nico asked, a scowl present on his face, "We should go back."

Both Nico and the girl started to rise, but Zoroaster shook his head, "I say we go on." Both the girl and Nico looked at him with shock present in their eyes. "Leo was desperate to board the Basilisk, if we take this barge to Pizza we can stall the ship there", he explained.

"Yeah what about Measto?"

"He'll meet us before she sails."

"You sure?" The girl asked, one eyebrow raised slightly.

"Fuck no," a smile appeared on Zoroasters face "But delaying the Basilisk is all we can manage"

A smile appeared on the girls face as well. Nico sighed and looked away, the girl placed a hand on his shoulder while Zoroaster rose from his sitting position.

"Let's find that dogs breath and take us to Pizza." And with that he walked away, not waiting for Nico or the girl. The girl got up, struggeling a bit with her skirts as she did so. Afterwards raising a hand to Nico. He rolled his eyes before grabbing her hand and working himself up. Then he got his bag and they hurried after Zo.

* * *

Zoroaster threw his bag on board of the boat before climbing on and extending his hand to the girl, which she gladly took. She was to short the get on by herself. Though she and Nico were about the same height, he would not help Nico, the boy would become a man soon enough, some things he could do by himself.

It was a shabby boat to be honest, not one of the great ships of the paypal fleet, nor a richly decorated vessel. It was brown, mostly. At least that is what the girl thought, not that she had much knowledge about ships. But it looked unpleasent, and in her opinion, not built to last a journey across the sea.

"Lets go you laggards we haven't got all day" one of the crewman called. He was balding, with only strips of dirty brown hair hanging by the side of his head, his clothes worn and discolored. It wasn't like the girl was used to well groomed men, but at least the men she knew bathed. Sometimes.

"Oy, you three," he said, adressing the three of them "Captain's in that cabin."

Zo looked at what he was pointing at and nodded.

"Do you truly think we're going to convince him to wait for the Maestro?"

"Nico I once convinced a woman that I was the ghost of her late husband back from dead to help her concieve."

The girl stuck out her tongue with a horrified expression on her face, "To much information Zo!", before laughing at him, he laughed with her. They had been at this game for a very long time.

Nico stopped and Zo turned around to look at him, "Watch and learn." The girl looked at Nico as he immitated the taller man, trying, though failing miserably, to keep in her laugh.

Zo opened to door to a dark cabin, the only light coming from slits in the wood. He smiled at the man sitting behind the desk. "Captain Denoli my employer Leonardo da Vinci, Lorende d'Medici's own war engineer, has sent me to humbly request that you delay your voyage by a few short hours." He smiled at the man, who was clearly not impressed. The girl nudged him a little, barely noticable. "Could be less, with artists it's hard to know but I am prepared to reimburse you for your time. And all you have to do is sit there. That is perfect."

The girl had to supress the urge to sigh, he was taking this was to far, dragging the whole thing out.

"Like a mute" he went on.

A man stepped from the shadows, dressed in black and carrying himself with grace. He was handsome, if not slightly intimidating. "Alas, I have already made my own agreement with the captain."

Zo and Nico's eyes grew wide, the girl, who had only arrived a couple of days prior to this expedition did not understand. They turned around, ready to run. Zo grabbed the girl by the arm and dragged her behind him. But as soon as they were at the door another man appeared in front of them, blocking their exit. All three of them were grabbed, and both the girl and Nico had a knife pressed against their throat.

"Well I must say it is good to see you both, and who is this?" The handsome man twirled his sword around in his hand. Zo tried to get in front of the girl, his face consorting in anger. "Our last encounter left me so - emptyhanded." He smiled at that last remark. "Now let us see what gifts you brought me while the captain fetches my own little trinket from the hold."

The guards took their bags from them. The girl was frightened, ofcourse she had been in bad situation before, she was a thief for god's sake, but neve like this. There was no way out, no lie to tell. Whoever this man was, he knew her companions, and he knew of their journey.

The man sat in the chair the captain had occupied moments before, pulling things from their bags. He folded out the map and smiled. "The undiscovered land that hides the vault. Remarkable. Truly."

Next to her Nico moved, and she realized he was just as scared as she was. Of course he was, he was but a boy still. The girl wanted to grab his hand, but couldn't, the man who was holding her was grabbing on to her to tight. The man pulled the next item out of the bag, the piece of skin. "Now this skin is the Abbysinian's, is it not? And the codes which correspond to the map presumably. I wonder, did da Vince kill Solomon Ogbai himself to claim it? Yes? Well, nothing."

The girl could feel the discomfort of the two man beside her. Whoever this man was he was dangerous. She suspected he was that count Leonardo and Zoroaster spoke about, the one they apparently hated with a passion.

The next item caused the man to smile as he opened to box. "An astrolabe", he twirled the thing, making it go from flat to a sphere. "Unlike any I have seen before, a device to tame the stars." He put the thing back in the sack. "And what of the keys to the vault?"

"Still in the Masters possesion"

"Pity I shall have to improvise then. Nevertheless I thank you both, the keys remain useless without these tools to guide the way."

The door opened once more and a woman was brought in. "And I thank you again dear cousin, for your duplicitous ways have born fruit."

The woman leaned foreward, trying to be more threatening than she really was. "Leonardo will come from you."

"But uhm, tragically, not for you. Chain her and the mongrel. Ready them to face gods judgement."

The girl looked at Zoroaster, despair visible on her face. Not him, anyone but him! The guards let her and Nico go, needing the strenght of all three of them to hold Zoroaster. She screamed and tried to get them off of him, but to no avail. The door locked in her face and she was alone in a room with Nico and the dark man.

"What about us?"

"Worry not Nico, I have faith the both of you will prove your use to me in time."

* * *

The woman, whom she had soon learned was Lucrezia Denati and Zoroaster were standing on a planck, bound together by chains. He was going to make them jump. He was going to kill them.

"Through my holy annointing may the lord bless you and pardon you"

"Pleas don't, don't do this" the girl begged, "We'll tell you whatever you want, we'll do whatever you need."

The man, Riario, she had been right in her deduction before, turned towards her. His eyes were covered by tinted glass, hiding them from vieuw. Giving him an even more sinister appearance. "They have nothing to offer"

"Say farewell"

Both she and Nico fought agains the people holding them, tears glinstening in both their eyes. This was not what she had signed up for. She had signed up for an adventure, for discovery! If only she wasn't so impulsive.

"I demand a right to my last words" Zo requested, Riario nodded, granting him this final wish.

"Nico, the first time this snake lets his guard down, stick a dagger in him and slice him from balls to brains. Catarina," he paused for a second, affection apparent in his voice, "Don't do anything stupid."

"A touching sentiment. And I would be profoundly curious to see him try."

Riario stepped foreward, "And what of you cousin? Silent when there is no one to seduce. But I do not say farewell without regret Lucretzia. For what it's worth, I would have spared Amelia. If I could."

This hit a nerve in Lucretzia, it was clear for all to see. "Don't you dare speak her name. Don't you dare!"

"May God have mercy on both our souls"

The guards grabbed their swords and Nico and the girl once again started to struggle.

"I regret never having fucked you". Lucretzia just looked at him, before pressing her lips against Zo's, almost desperately. And then they jumped.


End file.
